Lucinda Holdforth wrote a piece for the Sydney Morning Herald titled ‘A lot of nonsense’: It’s time to call out LinkedIn (29 July 2023).
« LinkedIn certainly started out, in 2003, as a professional networking site… LinkedIn was a place where people put themselves forward as competent, sane and employable. Over time, however, LinkedIn has turned into the place you go to for the best of all possible worlds, where corporate vision, whole hearts, great work and a fulfilled life coexist in perfect equipoise, with good times and teamwork leading to virtuous riches and success for all… Life is a generous feast of mutual backscratching, humblebragging and virtue signalling. And a lot of nonsense. »
« I saw one profile on LinkedIn where the bloke described his professional skill set as “delivering change through experience and knowledge”. A toddler’s babble would be more meaningful. »
« When people on LinkedIn say coyly that they are struggling to overcome the curse of “imposter syndrome”, I often suspect the reason they feel like imposters is because, in fact, they are. »
« In this self-congratulatory world, LinkedIn specialises in awards nights. Awards for everyone and everything. »
« Philanthropy on LinkedIn is an even better opportunity to show virtue. »
« The current owner of LinkedIn is Microsoft. The foot soldiers promoting the LinkedIn ideology are HR professionals in big corporates armed with psychology degrees, while modern HR language is 100 per cent Brene Brownian. Brown, if you don’t already know, is a self-deprecating American sociologist whose 2010 TED talk, “The Power of Vulnerability”, is one of the most watched ever. Her influence is so extensive that your demonstrations of authenticity, vulnerability and, most of all, humility are all highly prized. Well, until you are made redundant, when you will be reminded by your HR person of your obligations under your company’s Draconian confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements as they push you out the door. [Books by Brene Brown: Atlas of the Heart, Dare to Lead, The Gifts of Imperfection, Daring Greatly, I Thought It Was Just Me, Braving the Wilderness, Rising Strong, You are the Best Thing] »
« In this Panglossian world, small Chekhovian tragedies unfold. »
The Sydney Morning Herald piece is an edited extract from Lucinda Holdforth’s book: 21st Century Virtues: How They Are Failing Our Democracy (2023).
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